Diamond Head State Monument in Oahu, Hawaii is A Gem
Written: Jul 11 '02 (Updated Apr 01 '03)
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Pros: Maintained by the state, it is an easier hike than many; gorgeous views!
Cons: Only for the mobile; can get crowded.
The Bottom Line: This State Monument is a must do if you are in Oahu or can just spend one day in Oahu from another island.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Diamond Head |
I was going to review our 3 weeks in Hawaii in order, but changed my mind. The island of Oahu was our last destination and our trip to Diamond Head State Monument was on our second day on Oahu.
Some background information
My husband had a conference on Oahu so we had to scramble to fit sites in and this was one of them. We didn’t get our car until the next day so we took the bus there and it was a bit after 4:00pm when we arrived. The signs clearly say that Diamond Head’s gates close at 6:00pm and we confirmed that so were a little nervous about not being able to get out. As it turned out, we had plenty of time and cars were still leaving well after 6:00pm! Also, if you don’t drive there, you can walk out if you find the gate closed.
~Diamond Head (also known in Frommer’s as Diamond Head Crater) can be seen just about anywhere on Oahu (unless you are under water!) You can go to http://away.com/parks/park1087.adp to find out a bit of information and see some pictures.
~As I said we took a bus near our hotel to the entrance of the road that leads to the gate that gets you into this monument. It is located off Diamond Head Road between Makapuu and 18th avenue. It is on the South Shore of Oahu so if you are looking at a map, look below Waikiki and you will see it listed. It is on the water. The lighthouse and views you will see from the top are amazing sites.
~Now that you know where it is, let me tell you a little bit about what it is. The information is coming from my head, Frommer’s, and 101 things to do in Oahu. Diamond Head is known in Hawaiin as Le’ahi (brow of the ahy-yellowfin tuna.) It was named this when British seamen saw calcite crystals sparkling in the sunshine and thought they had found diamonds. It is the crater of a volcano, which has been extinct for 150,000 years so when you get to the top you look down into a very large hole.
~The Monument opens at 6:30 am and as I said closes at 6:00 pm all year round. It is $1.00 if you walk in and $5.00 per car. There is plenty of parking and if you walk via the bus and don’t feel like taking the bus back or walking back to the bus stop, there will be taxis glad to take you where you are going. They will offer to charge you a flat fee and you may want to do that. When we got to the bus stop a taxi pulled over and offered to take us to our hotel for $$2.00 each. Since the bus was $1.50 each, we took him up on his offer. It is actually against the law for the taxi cab driver to do this. They have to have their meter running, but they do this and if you want to take advantage of it, you won’t get arrested. (Well we didn’t and a police car did chase the taxi away but not until we were in it.)
What you will find at Diamond Head
1. The only restroom is at the bottom. There really isn’t a visitor center, just a place to pay your money. Try to not have to go to the bathroom because there isn’t even anyplace to go in the woods – one of the few places in Hawaii I found that to be true.
2. As a state monument it is maintained. Climbing through jungle on paths that are unclear and swinging from bamboo roots were long gone. The trail up is, for the most part, not too difficult (some may disagree). I say it isn’t difficult because there are handrails throughout the whole 1.4 mile round trip journey and although you will encounter some lava to climb over, this was a piece of cake compared to what we did on other hikes. We actually saw several people running this trail “for fun.” (I asked if they were competing in a marathon and the answer was no.) There are also several benches you can sit on if you want a break.
3. You will see cute little mice (by this time little critters were a way of life for me and I did think they were cute) as well as Brazilian red-topped cardinals (If you are into birds.) that are gorgeous.)
4. You will find tunnels and it is recommended that you bring a flashlight. We did but with the handrails we really didn’t need them though they were nice to have.
5. You start you ascent on this 760-foot crater, which is steep so wear sneakers or hiking boots. (Which I recommend if you are doing any hiking on your visit to the islands – sneakers worked but hiking boots would have been better.) After one tunnel you will then climb 99 stairs (I didn’t count them, this is a well known fact and actually not the most difficult part of the journey. The stairs are real stairs as opposed to dirt or lava.) and then find another tunnel, a few more steps and you are at the beginning of the top of Diamond Head. There are a few levels so climb to the very, very top. Once you reach the first level a few more stairs won’t matter. You will see a 365-degree view of spectacular Oahu. We could see our hotel and just about anything. This would have been a nice place for binoculars. These are really nicely made observation posts on what is called Point Leahi.
6. During the winter you might see whales!
7. Since we trekked very fast going up, we took our time going down and read the material presented under plastic on posts as in many state parks. We also passed World War I and II pillboxes and gun emplacements. There is a lookout here to see these; you’ll just step off the path to a concrete area surrounded by railings. This was the safest hike we did in our 3 weeks.
Other information:
Even at 5:00pm as we went down, but especially going up, it was hot. It was hotter than I had expected so be prepared but once you hit the top you will find a nice cool breeze and it will be worth it. Wear a hat, wear suntan lotion and make sure you have a bottle of water per person! There is no water on this trail and no Starbucks when you hit the top.
You may read that it will take you 2 hours for this trip and it may, but if you are pressed for time and only have an hour and can hike, go for it but if you can squeeze in 2 hours, you will enjoy it more. You won’t need more than 2 hours unless you plan on having a picnic on the top.
Even at that time of the day, there were plenty of people. There weren’t enough for me to call the observation posts crowded, but close to it, so I would recommend that you go early in the morning when it should be less crowded and not as hot. My notes say, “Diamond Head was worth the hustling to get there.”
My final thoughts:
Unless you are not mobile, you can’t go to Oahu and not climb Diamond Head. You will see this crater from most places and it is spectacular to look at. The view at the top is one of the most impressive I have seen. You will see the row of hotels, a stadium, as well as the lighthouse and gorgeous blue water. This is not to be missed. At $1 or $5 this State Monument is a must do.
Feel free to leave me a comment or ask any questions. Other Hawaii reviews you may be interested in:
Traveling to Hawaii on a Budget
The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel
Aloha Airlines
Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast in Maui
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LahainaTown Maui
Hana Highway in Maui
Haleakala National Park in Maui
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaiian Airlines
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Poipou Beach Area, Kauai
Na Pali Coast, Kauai
Hideaway Cove Villa, Kauai
Royal Kona Resort,The Big Island
The Island of Hawaii - The Big Island
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island
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USS Arizona Memorial on Oahu
DiamondHead State Monument on Oahu
Polynesian Cultural Center,Oahu
Wailua River State Park in Kauai, Hawaii
Recommended:
Yes
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